English

An algebraic approach to Borel CSPs

Logic 2022-04-01 v1

Abstract

We adapt tools from the algebraic approach to constraint satisfaction problems to answer descriptive set theoretic questions about Borel CSPs. We show that if a structure D\mathcal D does not have a Taylor polymorphism, then the corresponding Borel CSP is Σ21\mathbf{\Sigma}^1_2-complete. In particular, by the CSP Dichotomy Theorem, if CSP(D)\operatorname{CSP}(\mathcal D) is NP\mathrm{NP}-complete, then the Borel version, cspB(D)\operatorname{csp}_B(\mathcal D), is Σ21\mathbf{\Sigma}^1_2-complete (assuming PNP\mathrm{P}\not=\mathrm{NP}). We also have partial converses, such as a descriptive analogue of the Hell--Ne\v set\v ril theorem characterizing Σ21\mathbf{\Sigma}^1_2-complete graph homomorphism problems. We show that the structures where every solvable Borel instance of their CSP has a Borel solution are exactly the width 1 structures. And, we prove a handful of results bounding the projective complexity of certain bounded width structures.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2203.16712,
  title  = {An algebraic approach to Borel CSPs},
  author = {Riley Thornton},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.16712},
  year   = {2022}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-24T10:32:43.230Z